Recent advances in high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) column technology have made it posible to rapidly analyze protein samples using HPLC. The purpose of the present project was to evaluate high performance liquid chromtography as a means of analyzing biological fluids such as saliva and plaque fluid and to see if it was feasible to use HPLC to quantiate natural or added substances in saliva. The results suggest that HLC can be used to quantitate natural consitutents of saliva such as s-IgA with accuracy and precision comparable to other commonly used methods such as radial immunodiffusion. HPLC should also be useful for monitoring the salivary levels of antibacterial agents after a person uses a mouthrinse or dentifrice containing an antibacterial agent.